COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF - The 2008 Western Athletic Conference soccer season kicks off this Friday, Aug. 22 with six of the eight teams in action. To start things off, Utah State will travel to Picatella, ID to face Idaho State while Boise State hosts Northwest Nazarene at Boas Soccer Complex in Boise, ID. Fresno State and Idaho are both in California on Friday when they play at San Francisco and at Cal State Bakersfield, respectively. The Nevada Wolf pack will host UC Santa Barbara in Reno while San Jose State opens its’ season against No. 22 Santa Clara, in San Jose.
Four teams are also in action on the following Sunday, Aug. 24 when all four will be on their home fields. Fresno State welcomes UC Davis, while Eastern Washington travels to Boise to take on the Broncos. Utah State hosts Seattle University in a mid-day match-up as San Jose State hosts No. 17 California, the Spartans’ second consecutive game against a ranked opponent.
Conference play begins after seven weeks of tournament and non-conference action, leading to the six-team WAC Conference Championship Tournament. This year’s soccer tournament will be held November 6-7, 9 at the Mackay Stadium on the campus of University of Nevada at Reno.
To view the 2008 women’s soccer composite schedule, click here.
HAWAI’I FAVORED IN WAC PRESEASON POLL - Defending Western Athletic Conference women’s soccer champion Hawai’i has been chosen in a poll by the league’s coaches to defend their 2008 WAC crown as it looks to become back-to-back champions for the first time in school history. The Rainbow Wahine received seven of the eight first-place votes with Fresno State earning the remaining vote.
SOCCER FORMAT - The WAC will continue its regular-season play as a single round-robin format (plus a points system) for a total of seven conference matches. The points system allows each team to receive three points for a win and one point for a tie. The six teams with the most points at the end of the regular season will advance to the WAC Tournament which will be held Nov. 6-7, 9 in Reno, Nevada.
2008 WAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
November 6 (Quarterfinals)
Match 1 ? No. 3 vs. No. 6, 3:00 p.m.
Match 2 ? No. 4 vs. No. 5, 5:30 p.m.
Note: The host school will play in the late match of the first round regardless of its seed, and the bracket may be adjusted accordingly.
November 7 (Semifinals)
Match 3 ? No. 1 vs. Winner Match 1, 3:00 p.m.
Match 4 ? No. 2 vs. Winner Match 2, 5:30 p.m.
November 9 (Championship)
Match 5 ? Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 1:00 p.m.
TOP STAT LEADERS FROM ’07 RETURNING FOR ?08 - Following are the returning statistical leaders in the WAC for 2008. Each of the WAC-only statistical leaders return this season. Hawai’i’s Ambree Ako returns after leading the WAC in league-only games with 20 points last season. Ako was also the leader in WAC games with six assists during the 2007 season. All three players who led the WAC in conference matches with seven goals each return for the 2008 season, UH’s Ako and Taryn Fukuroku. Utah State’s Lauren Hansen returns after also recording seven goals in WAC play last season. Fukuroku also fronted the WAC in league play last season in shots with 24. Defensively, the top goalkeepers return. San Jose State’s Nina Butera registered 35 saves in WAC play last season to front the conference. Fresno State’s Kaity Revel is also back this year after leading the league in save percentage (.875) and goals allowed average (0.56). Utah State keeper Ali Griffin and Fresno State’s Revel tied in the shutout category last season with three.
RETURNING ALL-WAC PLAYERS - The WAC returns 15 all-conference players for the 2008 season. Hawai?i leads the way with six returning all-WAC members, including last year’s WAC Offensive Player of the Year, Ambree Ako, and Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Tehane Higa. First teamers Ako, Higa, Taryn Fukuroku and Nicole Mikula, along with second teamers Chelsea Deptula and Kori Lu return for the Rainbow Wahine. Fresno State welcomes back two first teamers and two from the all-WAC second team. The Bulldogs return both Alison Sill and Kaity Reven from last year’s first team, along with Nicole Gutierrez and Selena Gill from the second team. Utah State returns all-WAC first team defender Lindsey Smart for her junior season. The Aggies also return a pair of second team selections from last season in Candice Clark and Lauren Hansen. Boise State returns last year’s WAC Freshman of the Year Shannon Saxton, who also earned first-team all-WAC honors last season. Nevada welcomes back second team all-WAC defender Patrice Goodwin for her senior year.
NCAA STAT LEADERS RETURNING -Three players who ranked in the top-50 individually in the nation in various statistical categories return to the pitch this season. Boise State’s Shannon Saxton returns for her sophomore season after ranking fourth nationally in goals per game (0.895) and sixth in points per game (2.05) last season. Hawai?i’s Ambree Ako returns for her junior season this year after ranking 33rd in the nation in points per game (1.52). Fresno State’s Alison Sill ranked 48th last season nationally in assists per game (0.43), returns for her senior campaign.
The University of Nevada and the city of Reno, Nevada, will play host to the 2008 WAC Soccer Tournament. The tournament will be played at Mackay Stadium Nov. 6-7, 9.
The 2008 Soccer Tournament is the first of three WAC Championships to be hosted this year on the campus of Nevada. In March, the Wolfpack will host the WAC Men’s and Women’s basketball tournament, and just a month later will host the WAC Women’s Golf tournament.